A Variable Speed Drive Designed to Reduce Operating Expenditure and Maximizing Oil Production in Electrical Submersible Pump Applications: Case History in Ecopetrol

Abstract

Abstract

Maximizing oil production at the lowest cost is a need in today's Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) applications. However, the operation of an ESP faces common challenges such as gas locking, difficulty starting, power consumption, back spinning and power sags that lead to deferred production and operational expenditure increase. These challenges can be mitigated using a Variable Speed Drive (VSD) specifically designed to control and protect the ESP system, but the potential of this type of equipment is frequently underutilized in the industry.

Baker Hughes developed a Variable Speed Drive to solve the most common ESP problems operator's experience daily when trying to optimize oil production. Baker Hughes, in partnership with Ecopetrol, carried out a three month field trial of the VSD production optimization capabilities in a heavy oil well of Chichimene field in Colombia. The ESP system operation during the VSD implementation was monitored with the aid of remote monitoring and a downhole gauge unit.

This paper will present the test results of the drive's advanced production software's in Chichimene field, which allowed significant savings on operating costs and increased oil production representing a benefit to Ecopetrol of more than US$30.000 during the three months testing.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90260 © 2016 AAPG/SEG International Conference & Exhibition, Cancun, Mexico, September 6-9, 2016